Shadows of the Past
by Sweeney Todd
Summary: Ten years have passed since the events at the barricades. A now widowed Marius comes across an old face he never expected to see again. Dark Fic, MariusEponine Pairing
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Victor Hugo owns Les Misérables.

**Notes: **The idea spawned from a livejournal community when someone suggested a Marius and Eponine romance from Marius' point of view rather than Eponine's. The story takes place ten years after the events at the barricade. I believe this would make Marius thirty-one and Eponine twenty-six. You are welcome to correct me if I'm wrong though. Reviews are major love, and because I play fair, constructive criticism and flames are also accepted.

Chapter 1

"Papa!"

A young boy a little over the age of five darted into Marius' study. The boy's hair was dark like that of his father's, but his eyes were crystal blue like that of his mother's. In the boy's hands was a parchment of paper. In hopes to grab his father's attention, the boy tugged on the end of his father's sleeve.

"Yes, Etienne," Marius turned away from his book and focused his attention on his son.

"I made you a picture," Etienne said with a bright smile upon his lips.

With a gentle smile, Marius took the parchment out of his Etienne's hands. A sense of warmth fell over him. Scribbled on the parchment was a picture of him and his son hand in hand, and up in sky was an image of an angel. Marius instantly knew that this angel was Cosette.

"See, that's mama in heaven watching over us," Etienne explained.

"It's a really nice drawing," Marius commented.

"I'm so glad you like it, because I worked really hard on it," Etienne said, his bright smile only grew.

Marius set the picture on top of his desk, and then placed both his hands on his son's shoulders. "I'll be out for awhile. Is there anything that you would like me to get you while I'm out?"

Etienne thought for a moment and then replied, "No."

"Alright then, I'll be out for about an hour, but I promise I'll be back as soon as I can," Marius assured with a smile.

"Bye, papa," Etienne said, and gave Marius a tight hug before he left.

"Bye, Etienne," Marius replied, "I promise that I won't be out long."

Before leaving, Marius snatched his black tail coat that happened to be hanging off the back of his chair. Then he ruffled Etienne's hair, and said one last quick goodbye before leaving his home. His smile faded the moment he left Etienne's sight, the picture brought back so many painful memories that he would prefer not to think about at the moment. Briefly he remembered the agonizing screech she had given minutes before her death. The very memory haunted him even now after so long.

"No, I can't think about that now. I've got to think straight," he whispered to himself. Then he forced his thoughts towards his grocery list to distract his thoughts. He recited it quietly to himself over and over until his thoughts once again became clear.

Marius continued to distract his thoughts by studying the people on the street. There was an old man with his grandchild walking along the sidewalk. Next there was a young couple, perhaps recently married, giggling with one another as they strolled hand in hand. Then he saw a brunette woman with a simple dress walking in a few feet in front of him. To her right was a middle-aged man, his dark hair was already fading.

"You look terrible today," he said to the brunette, "Have you any idea how you look with all that make-up on?"

"I don't know," it was a simple response given by the brunette.

"You look like a harlot," he hissed quietly, "I can't believe I let you out of the house looking like this."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that it looked so bad," she whispered.

Their conversation was rather odd, at least for someone like Marius. He quieted his steps as he listened into the couple's conversation with sheer curiosity. The woman seemed to tense as the man moved closer to her.

"You aren't up to your old habits are you?" he asked her in a harsh tone.

"No, I haven't done such a thing in years," she insisted.

"It's a good thing you aren't," he replied, and the woman seemed to relax at his comment, "I've done more for you than anyone in your life, so I would even think about those old habits of yours if I were you."

She tensed again and her breath quickened. "I'm not like that anymore, I promise."

"How do I know that?" he asked.

"Don't you trust me?" the brunette replied.

"No, as a matter of fact I don't trust you," he replied.

"I've never been dishonest since I've met you," she assured him.

"You're lying," he insisted.

"Please, not now, someone might be listening."

As Marius listened into the conversation he could feel his muscles tense nervously. This was just something out of the ordinary, something he wasn't exactly accustomed to seeing. He was curious of what the two were talking about, but more than anything he wanted to leave the scene immediately. The way the man talked down to the woman was chilling, and Marius didn't know how much more he could bear of this conversation.

After a moment of thinking, Marius decided that he would pass the couple and that would be the end of it all. Besides, it wasn't really his business to get mixed up in the affairs of other people no matter how much sympathy he felt for the woman in front of him. Marius tried to pass the woman, but ended up accidentally brushing her shoulder with his own.

The woman looked over her shoulder, and instantly he felt his stomach turn at the very sight. The very look on her face, she had been completely taken aback by his appearance. So much that she couldn't stop her hand from covering her mouth while tears threatened to fall from her eyes. The pit in his stomach only grew when he saw the man briefly snarl at him before forcing a smile.

"I didn't mean to—" Marius stammered, he was at a complete loss for words.

"It's quite alright, good day to you monsieur," she replied.

The couple continued on their way leaving a very shocked Marius behind them. His heart beat against his chest as he tried to collect his thoughts. That woman, he knew her before, but she wasn't supposed to be here. She had died from a bullet wound ten years ago, and died in his arms. How could she still be alive?

Though she might have changed over the years, he knew exactly who that woman was. It was Eponine Thénardier, the girl who had lived next door to him ten years ago.

To Be Continued

**Notes: **Again, reviews are much love. I'm open to all sorts of reviews regardless if its mindless praise, pleas to continue, constructive criticism, or flames.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes:** I didn't plan on updating this fanfiction again, because I didn't plan on writing for this fandom again. I've received a lot of feedback for this story though, and I didn't want to leave everyone at a cliffhanger.

Chapter 2

It had been a month since his meeting with Eponine. Since then Marius took notice that when he went out to do his errands, she was always walking side by side with that odd man right on schedule. Eventually Marius was able to convince himself that he was simple delusional, and that the woman on the street was just some bourgeoisie woman who closely resembled Eponine. Once clearing that up with himself, Marius resolved to put Eponine out of his mind from then on out.

Without Cosette for company, Marius spent most of his time skimming through his grandfather's old book collection. After Marius and Cosette's wedding, his grandfather decided to move to Marseilles. Since it would have been a lot of effort to take every last thing he owned with him, Marius' grandfather decided it best to leave a few things with his son. Some of his books were decent, Marius admitted that much, but Marius found that most of the books spewed royalist tripe.

Currently Marius was sifting through one of his grandfather's novels. It was an odd novel actually, nothing at all his grandfather would be interested in. In fact he could not fathom how it had landed in his grandfather's book collection. After all, his grandfather rarely felt an ounce of pity for the poor.

It was originally an Italian novel, but had been conveniently translated into French. The plot was very odd though, something he had not seen before. The novel followed a repulsive, impoverish woman that turned to prostitution to keep food in her mouth. As fate would have it, the young woman took interest in a handsome young man who was having an affair with a passionate, gorgeous woman.

The novel sent a shiver down his spine, and quickly he snapped the book shut. Marius knew exactly why the novel disturbed him. Then his thoughts ventured back to the day he had run into the Eponine. Hadn't she covered her mouth in shock? Does that mean that his theory was wrong? Could Eponine still be alive?

"Stop it," he shouted to himself, "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! For crying out loud, she's dead!"

That's right, she's been dead for ten years, and he hadn't even given her a passing thought since he snatched Cosette's letter from her cold, dead hands. Slowly Marius retraced his memory in desperate search to explain all this nonsense.

"Eponine had a sister, didn't she? That could explain why the woman resembled Eponine, and why she reacted to my presence," he said.

There was still something that bothered him though. Her sister had lighter hair, and wasn't quite as tall as Eponine was. If Eponine's sister was married then where was her father? Who was the man that she was walking with? And why was this entire situation giving him one excruciating headache?

"Should it matter?" Marius asked himself, "Even if she's still alive, it has nothing to do with me."

Suppose that she was still alive, perhaps he could visit with her every once in awhile. Though her obsession back then had frightened him a bit, surely those childish feelings of hers had died down by now. It would be difficult for her obsess after being apart for ten years.

Briefly Marius glanced at the clock. He wasn't planning on running his errands today, but he was curious to see what she was up to now. Silently he tried to make an excuse to stay at home, but none came to mind. Therefore he tossed on his tail coat and hat, and decided to see if Eponine and that strange man were on their typical schedule.

Once outside, he tucked his hands in his pockets and lowered his head. Marius wanted to lay low until he felt an appropriate time to speak with her. Besides that, he didn't particular trust that man she was with. Whenever he opened his mouth, it was always to belittle Eponine or anyone else he decided to talk to.

"Don't these look pretty?" Marius heard a woman ask; instantly he knew it was her.

"I don't care for roses," the man replied.

"Oh," she replied in disappointment, "I think they're beautiful though. If it wouldn't be too much to ask—"

"No," he replied.

"You didn't even hear what I was going to ask?"

"I don't like roses," he growled, "I don't want them in my house."

"It would be nice if you'd do something nice for me once in awhile," she retorted boldly.

Slap!

Marius flinched. When he lifted his eyes, he saw her caressing her now red cheek. Her other hand was balled into a fist. She wanted to hit him back; he could see it in her eyes. However, she took a deep breath and relaxed both hands at her sides.

"I've fed you, clothed you, and given you a roof to sleep under," he snarled, "So don't you ever act as if I'm being ungrateful. Do you understand me Eponine?"

"Yes, I understand," Eponine said bitterly through her teeth.

Marius' eyes widened. It was her then, and there was no way he could deny it any longer. Whatever was going on, it was going way too far. Now he knew that there was a reason for him to be poking around in her business. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't approach her just yet.

They began walking again. Marius decided to pick up on one of his old habits. He was going to follow them home, and there he would find some way to talk with Eponine alone. Marius followed at a safe distance. The last thing he wanted was to cause Eponine anymore trouble.

It wasn't at all a surprise that her home was close and that it was actually an apartment. As the two of them turned inside, Marius noticed that Eponine had glanced at him briefly. She didn't seem to recognize him though, and slipped inside the apartment complex with the man.

"Alright," Marius began to calm himself, "I'm just going to find out which room she lives in for now."

Once he felt safe, Marius dashed inside just in time to catch them going up the stair case. He bit his lip nervously, and quietly tiptoed up the stairs. He followed them up to the third floor, and then watched them from the stairwell. The two of them walked up to the second door on the left.

"You embarrassed me today," the man reminded her.

"I'm sorry," Eponine said in response; Marius noticed that one of her fists was balled up.

The man opened the door angrily before Eponine said, "Oh, I must have dropped one of my gloves down stairs."

"For god's sake, Eponine," he replied angrily.

"It will only take a second," she said and darted away before he could argue.

She was making it up, wasn't she? The excuse was even that creative, and that's why she had one of fists balled up. She was hiding her glove from him.

Before he could ponder this any longer, he heard her say, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I—" Marius paused.

"Go home, you're going to get me into a lot of trouble," she replied.

"Do you even know who I am?" Marius asked.

She paused briefly and replied, "Yes, you're Marius Pontmercy."

"And you are Eponine Thénardier," Marius replied.

"How do you know my last name?" Eponine replied, "I don't ever remember giving you my last name."

"That doesn't matter right now," Marius replied.

"Eponine, what the hell is taking you so long?"

"Look, I can't stay here and talk to you," she replied, "He's going to kill me if he finds out I'm talking to another man."

"Who is that man?" Marius asked, "Eponine, he treats you like your father did."

"He's my husband." Eponine replied shamefully, "I really have to go now."

"Eponine, promise me that you'll meet with me later?" Marius said quickly.

"Why do you care?" Eponine asked bitterly.

"Just promise me," Marius replied.

"Alright, ten o'clock, I'll meet you right here," Eponine finally replied, "I really have to go now."

Marius watched her return home, and then quickly made his way down stairs. Aside from fighting at the barricades, this was probably the stupidest thing he had the nerve to get himself into.

To Be Continued

**Notes: **The novel Marius is reading is loosely based off the novel _Fosca_ which later was made into a musical as well. I intended to use the name of the novel in the plot, but it was published after this story takes place. Also, I want to make it clear that Eponine's husband is **not** Montparnasse. Also, please, please, please review. It really encourages me to write more.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes:** Thank you again for all your wonderful reviews. It's been difficult to continue this story, because I don't have much inspiration for it anymore. Still as long as people are reading, I'll try my best to finish this thing. Thank you so much for your support. It really means a lot to me.

Chapter 3

To ease his current frustrations, Marius sat against his couch while reading a novel. He was attempting to read that book again, the one about the woman that so clearly resembled Eponine. The novel paralleled her life so well that it began to frighten him a little, but Marius was compelled by the novel's complexity and beauty. For some reason, he couldn't take his eyes off it.

"Papa!"

Marius raised his eyes to see Etienne gazing back at him. Then he remembered, he was supposed to meet with Eponine tonight. If Toussaint didn't put Etienne in bed soon, it would complicate things a bit. Marius had no clue how he could explain being out late, and he really didn't want Etienne to try to find out on his own. The child was known for his relentless curiosity.

"You're still awake, Etienne?" Marius asked humbly, but in secret he was worried.

"I just don't know why I can't go to sleep," Etienne whined, "I'm scared, papa."

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Marius said.

"I'm afraid, because Toussaint told me a scary story," Etienne replied.

"And what story would that be?" Marius asked.

"She said that if I didn't behave that a monster would come and steal me away," Etienne confessed.

Marius let out a sigh of agitation and said, "Etienne, listen to me, monsters don't exist. Toussaint is just telling you this, because she wants you to learn to behave yourself."

"I know, but can I sleep in your room tonight just in case?" Etienne asked nervously.

An idea formed in Marius mind, and he then said to Etienne, "Do you promise to stay there?"

"I promise."

"And you promise that you'll stay put until I'm ready for bed?"

"Yes, I promise."

"Then, yes, you may sleep in my room tonight," Marius stated with a meek smile.

Marius watched Etienne climb up the stairs sleeping. Once Etienne was out of sight, he set the book aside. Tonight some of his questions would be answered, and perhaps he might find a way to burry this whole ordeal. Marius took a deep breath, once again questioning his reasoning. He didn't even have a clear answer to why he was meddling in Eponine's affairs.

"It should be about time now," he murmured to himself.

Quickly Marius straightened out his clothing. Before slipping outside the house, Marius searched to make sure no one was in sight. Had Toussaint or Etienne had noticed, it surely would have complicated things. Quietly he shut the door behind him. Once he felt safe, he started on his way.

The night was quiet, almost too quiet. As Marius retraced his steps, he gazed upon a graveyard. Momentarily he stopped whilst haunting memories floated in the back of his mind. Soon he would visit her, tomorrow perhaps. However, at night the graveyard frightened him like it frightened most people. Thus he usually visited Cosette in the daylight.

Quickly he snapped back to reality, and continued to retrace his steps back to Eponine's place. He wondered what Eponine thought of him now. Not much, he assumed. After all, while he lived out a wonderful marriage, she was trapped in a horrible marriage. She might even resent him now, and just that would be enough for him to leave her alone.

Perhaps she wondered what he thought of her now as well. Marius briefly thought about this to himself. To be honest, he didn't feel uneasy around her anymore. Eponine wasn't exactly ladylike, but her appearance had vastly improved over the past ten years. She appeared to be well fed, decently dressed, and her once missing teeth had been replaced. Marius did note however, that her voice was still as coarse as it once was.

Then Marius came across the complex in which Eponine lived. There was a brief urge to turn back, and leave this situation dead and buried. He had come so far now though, and he felt like his trip would be wasted if he did so. He breathed deeply, and entered the complex.

As he quietly ascended up the stairs, Marius called to her quietly, "Eponine, are you here."

"I'm here," she whispered, peering around the corner, "To be frank, I didn't think you would actually come."

"Why not?" Marius asked.

"Before I always was the one to approach you," Eponine reminded, "Unless you wanted something from me, and even then—"

"Right," Marius interrupted, "But that was ten years ago. As we grow older, I think that we all change if only a little bit."

"I—" Eponine tried to say, but let out a rough cough.

"Are you alright?" Marius asked.

Eponine raised her eyes to his and whispered, "What?"

"I said, 'Are you alright?'" Marius repeated.

"No, I heard you," then she paused, "I don't know. I just haven't heard it in awhile."

"Oh," Marius replied, now at a loss for words.

"How—" she seemed to pause nervously, "How is Cosette faring these days?"

There was an awkward silence between the two of them. Hastily Marius lowered his gaze to hide his immediate sorrow from her. He sucked some air, and then asked, "Come with me, I'll show you."

"Marius, what is this all about?" Eponine questioned.

"Come with me, Eponine," Marius replied.

"I might get caught," she whispered.

Before she could argue any further, Marius took her wrist in his hand. "Come on, it will only be a little awhile."

To Be Continued

**Notes:** I believe I've finally found a direction for this to go. This is actually the first time I've attempted a serious, well thought out novel length romance. So yeah, it's not exactly an easy task. Does anyone have any pointers, concrit, or anything that might help me out? Eh, this is getting kind of rambly, so I'll leave it here. Thanks for reading. I'm so happy that people are enjoying this. Thanks guys.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes:** Again, I thank all of you for your support. I never expected this kind of reaction to a plot bunny I was simply experimenting with at first. Thanks for the reviews and the constructive criticism. Both have a positive effect on my writing, and encourage me to write more.

Chapter 4

The chilling night air grazed Marius' skin as he led Eponine to their destination. For the most part, his journey with Eponine had been a quiet one. So quiet that Marius would occasionally glance behind him just to be sure that Eponine hadn't lost her way. Each and every time Marius glanced back, Eponine would still be following behind with her head lowered slightly. Finally Marius and Eponine reached their destination, the cemetery. When Marius stopped to fumble with the latch on the gate, he saw Eponine's expression change instantly.

Eponine whispered sympathetically, "Oh Marius, please say it isn't so."

"I'm afraid it is so," he replied, taken slightly aback by her sympathetic tone.

"But Marius, what happened?" Eponine asked.

Marius pushed the gate open and turned to Eponine briefly. "Come along, I'll tell you in a moment."

In all honesty, Marius was completely taken aback by Eponine's sympathy. In the past, she had always seemed very resentful of Cosette, and her jealousy had proven to be very dangerous at times. Marius shivered. Even now he couldn't forget her chilling confession as she lay injured in his arms.

That night at the barricades, she confessed her sin. Eponine Thénardier confessed that she wanted him to die with her at the barricades, and had led them there with that very hope. This very thought caused Marius to put a bit more distance between them. Even if it was ten years ago, it was still a very frightening thought.

"You don't seem very comfortable around me," Eponine continued, "Are you upset with me?"

Marius slowed up, a bit shocked by her words. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I didn't mean to upset you tonight," Eponine continued, "While I waited for you in the stairwell, I said to myself, 'You will not cause him anymore trouble, Eponine. Not tonight, not while he's being friendly with you.'"

At this statement, Marius' brow furrowed slightly. Her statement actually made him smile a little. Even after all these years, Eponine was still talking with herself. Even if she had changed a bit, there were some things that just couldn't be beaten out of her.

"It looks like I'm causing you a lot of trouble, and I'm sorry if I was in the wrong tonight M'sieur Marius," Eponine continued.

"It's alright," Marius said.

Marius looked around at the gravestones, and he began to feel affright. The cemetery was never a place he liked to go to at night. In this case though, he thought it very important to overcome his awkward fear. Besides that, it wasn't as if anyone would like to walk through a graveyard in the night. Finally they came across, Cosette's gravestone and Marius kneeled down before. Eponine followed his example, but maintained a bit of a distance.

"Tell me, why did she die so early?" Eponine asked.

"It wasn't a violent attack. It wasn't even illness that took her away. Cosette, she traded her life for someone else. Cosette died after giving birth to my son. He's what keeps me alive today. Without Etienne, I wouldn't have any reason to live. My life would be empty and meaningless."

"I feel really terrible," Eponine muttered.

"Why?" Marius asked, "You didn't do anything to cause her death."

"Oh, I know that," Eponine replied shamefully, and then hugged her knees tightly, "I just feel really awful about it. I don't know why. I just do."

Marius sensed the shame and guilt in her tone. "There's no reason to feel guilty about her death."

"I know," she replied, "It's just that—"

But she didn't finish her sentence, and instead their conversation fell quiet for a moment. The chilling wind picked up again causing Marius to wrap his arms tightly around himself. Eponine, on the other hand, remained unfazed by the rushing wind.

"You're always wearing gloves." Marius pointed out simply for conversational purposes.

Eponine smiled bitterly and replied, "I don't like them much actually."

"Oh," Marius continued, "Then why do you wear them all the time?"

Once again there was brief silence. For a moment, Marius watched as she gazed down at her hands, and then watched as she tore off one of her gloves. She presented a scarred hand to Marius. "Don't you remember, M'sieur Marius? I put my hand over that musket so that it wouldn't hurt you."

Marius shivered at the memory. "Yes, I remember. I don't think I could ever forget."

"I should probably go home now," she finally said, she was fidgeting.

Marius quickly caught her wrist and said, "What will he do to you when you get back?"

"I'm not sure," Eponine paused, "He's probably still asleep."

"But what if he isn't?" Marius asked again.

"I—" Eponine freed her wrist from his grip, "I have to go."

"Wait," Marius said.

"What," there was fright in her tone, "What do you want?"

"I was just wondering if I'd ever see you again," Marius replied.

She stopped dead in her tracks and said, "You want to see me again?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Do you really?" Eponine replied in disbelief.

"Yes," he repeated.

"Meet me at the same time and the same place tomorrow then," Eponine replied in a hushed whisper.

Eponine turned around, walked a few paces, and then turned around to look him in the eye. Marius smiled faintly, and then she took off into a run. Though he couldn't see, Marius could almost sense the tears in her eyes. Eponine wasn't accustomed to happiness, and right now he wasn't sure if that was what she felt.

**Notes:** I'm not sure how many chapters this fanfiction is going to be. I don't plan on writing more than twenty chapters for it though. Oh well, I'll see what happens! As always, if you can, please review. Concrit is nice too; it's something I haven't seen in awhile. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes:** Here's the next chapter for you enjoyment. Please remember to review!

Chapter 5

"Marius," said an assertive voice, "About last night—"

Without another thought, Marius turned his head towards the door. Toussaint glared down at him with both hands at her hips. In actuality Marius was bewildered by Toussaint's behavior for he had no clue why this would upset her in the slightest. Before turning back to his novel, Marius gave an agitated grunt.

"It's not of your concern," Marius replied.

"This behavior," she paused, "It's just that it's very unusual for you."

"How so," Marius replied, setting his novel aside.

"Marius," she paused to release a deep sigh, "You're not usually a night person."

"Lately it appears that I'm beginning to prefer the night," said Marius, "I've found that it is more comforting to me now than the daylight."

"This is nonsense Marius, complete utter nonsense," Toussaint nearly burst with worry.

"Does it really matter whether I prefer night or day?" asked Marius.

"What the devil has gotten into you?" Toussaint huffed with anger.

"I'm trying to fix something right now," Marius admitted calmly, "There is somebody who needs my help right now, and I know she won't be able to fix her predicament alone."

"What do you mean by "she"?" Toussaint questioned.

"Please Toussaint," Marius assured, "It's not anything like that."

Toussaint seized the novel from Marius' desk, studying it closely. Almost instinctively Marius leaped from his chair, and snatched the novel back from her hand. A peculiar look crossed Toussaint's features. This look made him feel very uncomfortable. It was almost as if she were a mad scientist studying a new specimen. Though it probably wouldn't make much difference if she knew of his secret meetings, Marius still wanted his secret to go unnoticed for a little while longer.

"I didn't much like this novel," Toussaint replied.

"I take it that you've read this novel before?" Marius asked with curiosity.

"Do you actually belief your grandfather would own such a novel?"

"So this novel belongs to you then, Toussaint," Marius replied.

"Yes, I have to admit that I've very addicted to romance novels," Toussaint replied, "After I finished the novel, I shoved it in your grandfather's bookcase. It made me feel ill after finishing the novel."

"Why?" asked Marius.

"Oh, the whole thing is just ridiculous!" Toussaint stated, "The lady, in the novel was very crooked, not at all what a young gentlemen should be looking for. A filthy thing such as her could never be more flattering than the other young woman in the novel. Now truthfully it's hard to believe that the solider chose such a repulsive creature over someone so respectful and mannerly."

Marius' eyes gazed at the novel on his desk. "I think that's the point of the novel though."

"I best leave you alone now," Toussaint said, "I need to go finish cleaning that little devil's room."

Once the door slammed behind him, Marius considered Eponine's current predicament. It worried him greatly. If she were to be caught, he assumed that she would have to face the some sort of consequence. Though in truth, Marius had only seen her husband slap her before. Could her husband actually be capable of beating her?

Before another thought crossed his mind, Marius heard something very peculiar. It was a soft tapping sound at his window. Instantaneously Marius raced over to the window, and drew the curtain aside. It was her, Eponine, with both her hands pressed desperately against the window.

"Oh god," Marius whispered to himself.

A worried grimace crossed his features as he gestured towards the front door. Eponine nodded, seeming to understand his hands movements. Marius then dashed down the hallway to the front door, and opened it for Eponine.

Without even a hello, Marius asked, "What happened?"

"He found out," she whispered, "He found out that I was out last night."

Marius studied her face closely, and noticed a large bruise around her eye. There weren't any tears to be seen though, but then again he never thought Eponine was the type to break down in tears to begin with.

"How did you know where I lived?" asked Marius.

"The same way you found out where I lived," she replied coarsely.

"Why did you come to me?" asked Marius.

She bit her lip nervously, "It seems to me that you're the only one who gives a sous about me anymore. My family's practically vanished off the face of the earth, and Montparnasse is practically in prison for life."

"Who's Montparnasse?" Marius asked curiously.

"Montparnasse," Eponine replied, "The dandy fancied me a lot, Montparnasse. He was quite the ruthless fellow though. Never liked my husband much, and nearly slashed him to death in a jealous rage," her voice dropped as she continued to ramble, "I don't know. It's just that I sometimes wonder whether or not I should have listened to Montparnasse. Maybe then, I wouldn't have to deal with this."

Marius placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her inside his house. "Eponine, tell me what happened."

"Oh, he gets like this with me all the time," Eponine's tone was so natural, almost as if she had grown used to her husband's behavior. "If I do one thing wrong, it really gets at him. Trouble is I can't ever make him happy. It's almost as if I exist to disappoint him."

"It's not your fault," Marius stated.

"I don't even know why I came here in the first place," Eponine replied with worry, "What if he finds out I'm here? He'll be very angry if he finds me in the company of another man. He'll think more of it than it actually is."

Both of her hands wrapped around her shaking form. Her teeth clattered while her entire for quaked with fear. Immediately Marius placed both hands on her shoulders and said, "Alright, that could happen, but it hasn't yet. Just stop, stop worrying yourself silly."

"You don't understand what he can do," Eponine attempted to argue.

"No, I don't," Marius admitted, "But he's not here right now, and all this worrying is getting me upset."

"What do I do?" asked Eponine with desperation.

"For now, you stay here," Marius replied.

"And what if he finds out?" Eponine asked.

"All he knows it that you were out last night," Marius point out, "He doesn't even know of my existence. In fact, the only time he ever acknowledged my existence is when I accidentally ran into you."

"Then he'll probably suspect you," Eponine replied.

"Maybe, but he doesn't know where I live," Marius replied, "As long as you stay inside, he won't know where to look."

"Alright," Eponine replied, breathing a sigh of relief, "But I can't stay in Paris."

"I'll find some place for you to move," Marius replied, "But until then you can stay here."

**Notes: **I'm a little uneasy about this chapter. I didn't want to be predictable so I had Eponine show up off schedule. I hope that it was a good move, but I'm open to anyone's opinion on it. Also, again, please review if you can.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes:** Thank god I'm passed writers block. I know my chapter wasn't the best, but I'm trying my best to make sure this doesn't turn out as an Eppie-Sue Fic. So here's the next chapter! Thanks for your reviews!

Chapter 6

Eponine's first week in the Pontmercy household went by quickly. She was given the guest bedroom that, to Marius' knowledge, had never been used. As for clothing, Marius allowed Eponine to wear some of Cosette's old gowns until she left. For the most part, Eponine kept to herself, never emerging from her bedroom except to eat and bathe. Eponine's presence in the Pontmercy household was practically non-existent.

For Etienne, the less he saw of Eponine, the better. Each time she supped with the rest of the household, Etienne would constantly glare at her. Marius decided to ignore Etienne's behavior, hoping that eventually Etienne warm up to Eponine. However, Etienne's hostility towards Eponine hadn't changed since he first laid eyes on her. Marius remembered it even now, the cold glare he gave Eponine before stomping off.

"How long is she going to be here?" Etienne asked.

"I don't know," Marius replied.

Marius ignored Etienne glance, hoping that this discussion would bury itself. Etienne, however, continued to glance up at him. It was as if he expected a specific answer, one Marius knew all too well. Even so, he tried his best to ignore Etienne's gaze.

"I don't like her," Etienne finally admitted.

Marius was slightly taken aback by Etienne's comment. He knew all too well that Etienne didn't like Eponine, but he never expect the boy to be so blunt. Marius swallowed nervously, staring Etienne directly in the eye. Etienne shifted his weight nervously.

"Etienne," Marius paused, "you haven't even attempted to speak to her."

"Who would want to speak with her?" Etienne replied, "She sounds like an old lady."

"I can't believe you," Marius raised his voice slightly.

"It's true," Etienne stated shamelessly.

Before Marius could reply, Etienne stomped outside of the room. It was true, Eponine's voice wasn't the most beautiful thing known to man. Even so, Etienne was a tad bit rude about it, and besides, Eponine's rough voice wasn't anything worth disliking her over.

Marius let himself fall into a nearby chair and buried his head into his hands. When he lifted his head, he saw Eponine standing next to a wall. Both of her hands seemed to be glued to the wall tightly. A pit began to form in Marius' stomach. Had she heard what Etienne had just said?

"I was just wond—" she stammered, "wondering when dinner would be ready?"

"Toussaint should be done soon," Marius replied.

"Thank you," Eponine replied and turned to leave.

"You can stay down stairs if you'd like," said Marius.

"I'm fine," Eponine replied.

"What's wrong?" Marius asked. "You're not bothering me."

"Yes, I am," She whispered.

Without another word, Eponine slinked back down the hall. Marius let out a deep, frustrated groan. She must have overheard his conversation with Etienne then or at least part of it. It wasn't like he shared the same opinion though. So why, all of a sudden, did she believe he didn't want her around?

"To hell with it all," Marius muttered. Right now, he was definitely not in the mood to play diplomat with Etienne and Eponine.

"Marius," Toussaint peered around the corner, "I've prepared dinner."

Marius put everything in the back of his mind. Then he rose from his chair and followed Toussaint into the kitchen. There Marius took his usual seat at the head of the table. Etienne sat at the side of the table while slurping down his soup. Eponine, however, was no where to be found at the table.

"Where is Eponine?" Marius asked.

"She said she'd be down in a minute," Toussaint replied humbly.

When Eponine stepped inside the room, Etienne tensed up and glared as usual. Toussaint simply placed a plate of food and a bowl of soup in front of Eponine. Toussaint joined the rest of the household at the table and smiled warmly. Etienne's glare didn't go unnoticed, because Eponine bowed her head shamefully the minute she noticed it. Marius smiled at her briefly as she her shaking hand dipped a spoon in her soup.

"Try it," Toussaint encouraged, "Etienne really enjoys this soup. I fixed it especially for him."

Etienne continued to glare at Eponine, watching her every move closely. Eponine glanced up at Marius nervously. It was as if she slightly pleading for Marius to intervene. Quickly Marius touched Etienne's shoulder. This caused to boy to turn his gaze to his father.

"Please, for this once, behave yourself," Marius whispered.

"Why can't she just eat in her room?" Etienne whined.

"Damnit Etienne!" Marius shouted, his hand slammed down causing the entire table to shudder violently.

Toussaint backed away from the table, completely taken aback by Marius' sudden outburst. Eponine, however, just lowered her head in shame once more. Etienne stared straight forward at his father while tears formed in his eyes.

"I hate her!" Etienne hollered.

"Tell me," Marius questioned with a hiss, "What's wrong with her?"

"She's ugly," Etienne cried, "She's not like mama!"

"Go to your room, and don't you dare return until you're ready to apologize!" Marius shouted angrily. Etienne instantly dashed out of the room in tears.

Etienne's statement wasn't just a cruel statement to make, it was also very odd. After all Etienne never had the chance to know his mother. So Marius was clueless to why he would say such a thing. Cosette, Marius thought, would have been disappointed in his rude behavior.

Marius returned his gaze to Eponine. She was still holding her spoon and utterly shaken by what she had just witnessed. "I'll just eat upstairs for now on."

"No," Marius replied, "You don't have to do that."

"I'm causing too much trouble," Eponine said and left the table.

To Be Continued

**Notes:** Right now, I'm basically developing Eponine's relationship to everyone in the Pontmercy household. The romance shouldn't be to far off, but I've got to develop some things first.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes:** Now that I'm off writers block, I've decided to update quicker. I'm trying to develop Marius and Eponine's romance, but rest assured it will happen as promised in the summary. Thanks again for your awesome reviews. It's nice to know that people are still reading this. For a moment, I thought everyone forgot that the fic existed since I didn't update in a long time.

Chapter 7

If Etienne expected for everything to revert to normal, he was certainly in for a shocking surprise. Since he insulted Eponine, Marius refused to let Etienne out of his room. Toussaint disagreed with Etienne's punishment and encouraged Marius to let the ordeal go. Marius, however, would always reply with, "Etienne needs to learn how to behave properly."

Eponine, on the other hand, never emerged from her room except to bathe now. When she decided to bath, it would be at early hours so that she would only bother Toussaint. At dinner time, she would request that Toussaint leave her food at the door. For Marius, it was as if Eponine no longer existed inside the Pontmercy household.

It was a week after the ordeal when Toussaint became fed up with the tension in the house. The frustrated woman barged into Marius' study and practically forced him to talk with Eponine. "If you don't settle this sooner or later, she's never going to emerge from that room again."

So now Marius stood in front of Eponine's door and knocked gently, but to his dissatisfaction, nothing happened. Marius knocked on the door again and heard a muffled "alright, I'll be there in a moment". He felt the floor shift underneath him, telling him that was going to answer her door.

"Marius?" she said in surprise, "I thought it was Toussaint."

"Toussaint was part of it," Marius replied. "She wanted me to come and talk to you."

"Oh," Eponine replied.

"Not that I don't want to," Marius replied, noticed the disappointed look across her face, "I just didn't really know how to approach the matter first."

Marius stepped inside her room. Most of the room appeared to be untouched. The bed covers and sheets, however, were in a crumbled mess. It was as if she tried to fix her bed, but decided that tossing them on top was quicker.

"I'll see that Toussaint fixes your bed," Marius said, grimacing slightly at the unmade bed.

"What is it that you want?" Eponine asked.

"I just came here to talk to you," Marius replied, "You've been up here for at a week."

"I just don't want to cause anymore trouble," Eponine replied, twisting the ends of her skirt nervously.

Marius quickly changed the subject by saying, "I asked around at the old tenement a couple of days ago, but nobody seems to have heard from your family since they were thrown out."

"It doesn't really matter," Eponine replied.

"Why?" Marius asked.

"Living with my family wouldn't be much different from staying with my husband," Eponine replied.

Marius shifted uncomfortably as a thousand questions circled his head. At the graveyard, he had told Eponine what had become of Cosette. It was his turn to learn the truth about her life. Even if it pained her to say, he couldn't live with the questions in his head.

"You're husband," Marius began.

"What about him?" Eponine interjected.

"Who is he?" Marius asked.

"You want to know?" Eponine replied.

"Of course I want to know," Marius said.

"Alright, alright, if you insist," Eponine's eyes lowered, "The first time I met him was after I was shot at the barricades. I don't remember much of it, because I was nearly unconscious when he found me. I remember him carrying me to the hospital though. My head was heavy, his footsteps echoed in my brain. It was rather silly of me, but at first I thought it was you. When I reached the hospital, the doctors remarked on how I was practically a hopeless case, but they were able to mend my wounds. Once I recovered, he paid my hospital bill and even offered me a place to stay. At the time I was so grateful. No one had ever shown me such hospitality before."

Marius sat down at the end of the bed. "How did things change?"

"Of course, he was very kind to me at first. He took me to a dentist to fix my smile. The only thing he couldn't correct was my voice. It had been degraded by all the brandy I drank earlier. Even so, I began to feel like a real lady. Then after awhile he decided to propose to me," Eponine laughed roughly before continuing, "You can picture it. This guy walks into my life and rescues me. He's not the best looking thing in the world, but he was the only man in my life that treated me right. So of course I'd say yes without a second though. By then, I didn't even think of you anymore. When I did, it was more of an afterthought than anything. I remember wishing that I could invite you and Cosette to our wedding, but I was never able to find out where both of you lived."

Marius smiled warmly at the thought and said, "So he changed after your marriage then?"

"It was a sudden change. For awhile, the both of us lived happily together. It wasn't until we had a run in with Montparnasse, one of my dad's old friends. He attacked my husband out of jealousy. I tried to stop him, but there wasn't much I could do. Montparnasse kept telling me that he knew these types and that I should stay away from him."

"He reacted after the attack then?"

"Yes, it was after the attack when my husband started to change. He kept insisting I was having an affair with Montparnasse. I wasn't at the time obviously. I was very happy with my current situation, but then his behavior got more violent. At first it was just a slap every once in awhile, but then his behavior started to escalate. I thought after awhile he would stop, but he only got worse. After awhile I gave up hoping. Until you came along, I didn't have an ounce of hope left. When I saw you, I thought that maybe just maybe you could help me. I never actually believed that you would though."

When Marius looked up into her eyes, not a single tear escaped her eyelids. There was just a piercing glance one that showed fear yet so much courage at the same time. Years ago he had thought of her as just a gutter rat, but now he saw something different. Eponine wasn't at all perfect and she didn't hold the same feminine grace that Cosette held. Yet after describing her suffering, she did not shed a single tear. For the first time in his life, Marius realized that he respected Eponine.

"And I'm truly sorry to you," Eponine lowered her voice so that it was barely above a whisper, "And to Cosette."

Eponine didn't say anymore though. Instead she just glanced back at Marius. Then she approached him and placed a kiss on his forehead. Marius was obviously taken aback by this behavior, but didn't say a word. Then after a short moment, Marius rose to from the bed and headed towards the door.

"Goodnight," Eponine whispered.

"Goodnight," Marius replied.

**Notes:** This chapter was obviously the long awaited back story for Eponine and her husband. To answer a reader's question, Eponine's husband will return eventually. Please review. As usual any sort of review is accepted. Thank you!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes:**I saw the trailer for the new movie, and I have to admit that I couldn't resist writing a new chapter. After I complete this, I plan to rewrite it to add more detail and fix some of the characterization problems (perhaps I'll just rewrite as a Musical!Verse fic with themes from the book). I apologize for taking so long to update. I'm figure that I'll probably write four more chapters at the most for this fic. I hope I can finish it before the new movie.

Chapter 8

The following day, Eponine decided that she would step outside of her room. Marius was quite shocked as he watched her come down from her room. She was pleasantly dressed in a black dress, and she actually seemed to put some effort into her appearance. She walked down to the table and took a seat next to him.

"Toussaint," Marius ordered, "Please prepare a plate for Eponine."

"Of course," Toussaint replied.

Then, she walked over to the kitchen, and after a few moments, she returned with a plate of food. She sat the plate before Eponine. They all sat in silence as they ate their breakfast. Eponine stole a quick glance at Etienne, and then, made an attempt to speak with the child.

"How is your food, Etienne?" she said, a soft quiver in her tone.

"It taste fine," he murmured, roughly poking his fork into his eggs.

Eponine took a bite of her food. "This tastes quite good, Toussaint. How ever did you learn to cook like this?"

"Quite a bit of practice actually," Toussaint replied. "I am glad you like it."

"You should teach me some day," Eponine replied. "Then, I will know how to cook once I have a family of my own."

Marius gave her a quick glance, and she gave him a soft smile before saying, "You are have been very lovely, but I know one day I will have to move on from here."

"There is no need to hurry yourself," Marius replied.

A small void began to fill his stomach. It was quite strange actually, but he found himself growing more fond of her company. He forced a smile on his face.

"But, if that is what you see is best for you," he continued, "you may leave when you please."

"Where do you wish to go?" Etienne said.

Marius's eyes darted over to Etienne. He was taken aback by his son's sudden attempt at hospitality. His eyes glanced over towards Eponine whom looked equally stunned by Etienne's question.

"I would actually like to go to America," Eponine replied. "I am not sure where I will get the money, but I believe it would be refreshing to live so far away from here."

"Where will you go in America?" Etienne asked. "I have seen it on my father's map, and it is so huge!"

"Well, it is quite big, but I think I will go to New York," Eponine replied. "If I do not like it, I will find a place I like."

"It will cost a bit of money," Marius stated.

"I suppose I could go to England instead if I cannot afford it," Eponine replied.

"Or you could just live with us," Marius said without even thinking.

He wasn't sure if he regretted saying it. Eponine gave Marius a quick look, and then, she fluttered her eyes down towards her lap. She smiled slightly.

"I need to find my place in this world," Eponine said.

She placed her silverware on top of her plate, and rose from the table after whispering a quick _thank you_ to Toussaint. She went back up the staircase, and the whole table fell silent.

"I guess I wouldn't mind if she stayed," Etienne finally admitted. "She doesn't seem so awful after all."

Marius just got up from the chair and followed Eponine up the stairs. He stood in front of her door and debated whether to knock. He let out a deep breath and paused. His thoughts were racing around his head. Marius could not fathom why the idea of Eponine leaving bothered him so much. Finally, he drew in one more deep breath and knocked on the door.

Eponine opened the door. "Marius?"

"Eponine," he said. "I am not sure why I came up here actually."

He stepped inside and glanced into her eyes. Then, he averted his gaze towards the window. It was quite lovely outside. "It is a rather beautiful day, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes," Eponine replied.

"You wouldn't mind taking a walk with me?" he asked.

Her brow furrowed. "A walk?"

"Yes, just for a bit," he said.

Marius was confusing himself actually, and he couldn't fathom what brought on his behavior. He studied her for a moment, and could see that she was just as confused as he was.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," she finally said.

They walked down the stairs. Marius walked towards the front door and turned over his shoulder to look at Eponine. She just gave him a strange look.

"Are we going to town?" she asked.

"No, we won't be going too far from here," he replied. "I just thought you would like some fresh air."

Truth be told, he had no idea what he thought at the moment. His entire mood was completely surreal. It was almost as if he wasn't even himself anymore.

Marius lead Eponine through the yard. He grabbed a small key from his pocket and unlocked the gate. Once both of them stepped through, he locked the gate behind them. He gave her an encouraging smile, and then, continued to walk in silence.

After a few paces, Marius finally broke the silence. "So, you plan to leave do you?"

"Not right this moment, but eventually I will have to," she paused. "Marius, what is this even about? You are behaving strangely."

"Strangely?" he asked with a nervous laugh.

"Yes, it is almost as if you are do not wish me to leave," she replied, and then, stopped completely. "Is this what this is about?"

"No," he said almost defensively,. Then, in a softer tone he admitted in a slightly embarrassed tone, "Yes, I suppose it is."

"Marius," she said apprehensively. "Do not play with my emotions. The first time –"

And, before she could say another word, his lips were on her's. Then, just as quickly he pulled away. "I don't understand any of this."

She just looked at him, completely stunned. He could see her eyes water up, and she whispered, "I always wondered what it might feel like even after all of these years."

"We could try this," he said. "It might work for us."

"I have been alone for so long," she said.

"I know," he said. "I have as well."

She drew him into a tight embrace and kissed him on the cheek. Then, she took a step back and looked directly into his eyes.

"We could try," a small smile forming on her lips. "It certainly would be a lot more cheaper than running away."

He took her hand in his. "Etienne seems to be warming up to you."

She laughed a little bit. "Yes, he has, hasn't he?"

They walked hand in hand, and for the first time, he felt the emotional gash in his heart start to close just a bit.

To Be Continued

**Notes:** So, I really want to finish this just for the sake of finishing it at the very least. I probably won't participate in any other fandom activities since I'm more into the Avengers and Legend of Korra fandom. As I said, I'm almost finished with this, and maybe I'll revise it later? Thank you for reading. Even if I die off again without finishing it, you guys have truly been kind. Thank you.


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